NII Explore's March Break World Climate Simulation open for registration
Teams of five high school students will compete in person for a chance to win $3,000 in prizes
In 2021, high school students in the area spent their March Breaks exploring how to establish the first human settlement on Mars. This year, they will focus on protecting planet Earth.
The NII Explore program at the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) is pleased to host the World Climate Simulation, sponsored by Bruce Power. The simulation is an in-person role-playing exercise of United Nations (UN) climate change negotiations in which participants experience the necessary speed and level of action that nations must take to address global climate change.
This free, one-day event will take place on Friday, March 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the NII Innovation Space, 620 Tomlinson Drive in Port Elgin. In true NII Explore style, teams of five from Bruce, Grey and Huron counties will get a fun, interactive experience—along with a chance to win $3,000 in prizes! Generously donated by Bruce Power, the prizes will be awarded for the most effective negotiators, team players, climate advocates and dealmakers.
"The World Climate Simulation is going to demonstrate two important things," said Phillip Craig, Director of the NII Explore program. "One, that working together to fight climate change is critically important, and two: it's also incredibly difficult. We are going to place students in the shoes of UN delegates negotiating a treaty with the hopes of saving the world."
Tens of thousands of students and adults around the world have participated in the simulation, which was developed by Climate Interactive, the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and the UMass Lowell Climate Change Initiative.
"Climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity," said Dwight Irwin, Bruce Power's Manager of Community & Media Relations. "Carbon-free nuclear energy from Bruce Power is doing its part to help Ontario and Canada achieve their net zero goals by keeping our electricity sector clean. It will be fascinating to see what other strategies the participants develop to save our planet."
Interested students can register their five-person team by Tuesday, March 15 by sending team member names and emails to explore@nii.ca.
Lunch, drinks and snacks will be provided. NII will follow provincial Covid-19 safety precautions during the event. Masks must be worn at all times throughout the day, except while actively eating/drinking.
NII Explore is a program dedicated to delivering enhanced educational opportunities for school-aged children to learn, experiment, discover and create. NII Explore's educational programming offers a range of learning styles that connects students to the best teaching and knowledge available.
Learn more at niiexplore.ca and join the conversation on Instagram @NIIExplore and Facebook @OntarioNII.
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